Cultural Cliteracy: Taking Black Female Sexuality into Your Own Hands

For some Black women, sexual autonomy, pleasure, and discovery are not only foreign practices but are unmentionable and rejected as well. Masturbation, a radical act of self-love and exploration, is too often met with guilt, shame, and fear. This session will review the research of sexual autonomy and Black Women, by examing Women in Blues, Black women’s literature, art, and analyze how participants have been socialized to consider the topic. From Bessie Smith to Audre Lorde, Black bodies experiencing pleasure have been explored as a tool of empowerment and liberation on micro to macro levels. Incorporation of these healing and liberating stories can inform and assist sexuality educators as they work to build sex positive Black communities.

This presentation is a part of The Association of Black Sexologists and Clinicians' Black Families, Black Relationships, Black Sexuality Conference: Building and Strengthening Our Community. Workshop will be held Oct 2 from 2:00-2:50PM.